Meltdowns! Words of advice for parents of children with special needs

One day my son was playing with a toy train while we were checking out at a local store. He was fascinated by the mechanics of it and I could see the wheels turning in his brain.

When it was time to leave, I gently took the train from him to return it to the shelf. Right away he became frazzled and confused, and began to scream. At first, shoppers looked at him and thought “it’s the terrible twos.” But as his screams escalated I could see their thoughts shift to “what is wrong with him?” and “why isn’t his mother doing anything about that awful racket?”

If I could go back in time to that moment, I would tell myself these four things:

Hi! I'm Katie, a special needs mom of three dedicated to helping other special needs families along their journeys. I am passionate about fostering positive communication and connection, and the peaceful power of empathy.